Editor's Note: March 2020

Author: Maggie Washo
| Photographer: M.Kat Photography

In late September of last year, local stylist Danielle Galella sent me a text message asking if Lucy could be a dog model for HGTV. We were headed out of town for a fashion shoot in Greenville on the date they were shooting, so unfortunately, I had to tell them she couldn’t swing it. Danielle got back to me again and said they would adjust their schedule; they really wanted a Bernese Mountain Dog for the shoot. At this point, I knew no details, and I guess I just assumed it was some sort of real estate-based show, since I knew local realtor Brad Wilson had been involved in a few of such episodes for “Island Life.”

Lucy spent the morning of her shoot getting a bath, and we rolled up to a beautiful blue house in Windmill Harbour, presumably the set. That’s when I met the interior designer of HGTV’s 2020 Dream Home, Brian Patrick Flynn, and his team. Everyone was so nice and welcoming, and you could tell they all really liked dogs.

Lucy spent the morning walking in and out of the house a few times, greeting her “pretend mom,” Hannah Joy Cages, and walking into the giant dog crate that was actually built into the mudroom/laundry room of the home.
Funny thing about that crate shot—and a little back story. Lucy was my first puppy-raising experience, and I did my due diligence when it came to reading up and asking for advice on the right way to do things. Everyone told me I should crate train her. So, I borrowed a giant crate from my friend Kelly and set it up in my bedroom. I had to run to the grocery store a few days after I got her, and up until that point, she had come with me everywhere. It was time to try out that crate for 30 minutes.

When I returned and walked into my house, she was so beside herself at being shut up in that thing, she was anxiously pawing between the bars to get out. And that’s how she broke her toe and had to be in a little cast for a week. Needless to say, she was never crated again … until we needed to walk into a crate on camera at the HGTV Dream Home. I was dying inside. Of all the things they could have wanted her to do. It was actually quite funny. Thankfully she sucked it up and went in with a little nudging from Hannah, who has dogs and knows how to handle them.

After spending the day with the HGTV crew, I started following them on Instagram. It was then that I became a big fan of Brian Patrick Flynn and his work. I’m interested in the bold colors he uses. I find it refreshing after seeing so many “coastal chic” homes in bland palettes of white, grey and light blue being featured again and again. I reached out to him on Instagram, and he was kind enough to invite our photographer, Krisztian Lonyai, into his home in Atlanta for a shoot. If you read one thing in this issue, full of home and garden topics, reads our interview with him.

We’ve also spent a good bit of this issue on our first ever Boomers & Beyond special section, with topics ranging from how to stay fit at any age to Five Questions you should ask yourself before retirement. Many boomers are approaching that time of life when they are making choices for their parents with regard to elder care, so we’ve also included listings of some local continuing care retirement communities as well.

Lastly, be sure to check out our This & That section—the longest we’ve ever had in one issue. Everything is happening in March it seems, from TEDx Talks and The St. Patrick’s Day parade to our favorite festivals (Wingfest and the Hilton Head Wine and Food Festival), and several high school productions.

I don’t know about you, but I love it when our island blossoms in spring and we get to come out of our winter hibernation. I’m sure I’ll see you around town. Have a magnificent March!

About Us

In September of 2006, Celebrate Hilton Head (CH2) burst onto the scene with a fresh perspective on Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and the surrounding Low Country. At the helm was a team of young women (all under 30!) with no experience whatsoever in the publishing industry. The first year they made up the rules as they went along. CH2 (and CB2 – Celebrate Bluffton and Beyond), has evolved into a well-respected publication with over 150 advertisers and a distribution to over 47,000 locals and visitors each month.

Content ranges from Interesting Islander profiles and arts and entertainment pieces to food and wine topics and Hilton Head and Bluffton Business Profiles. CH2’s Bachelor of the Year Contest has blossomed into a greatly anticipated media event every year with viral marketing (i.e., Facebook, Twitter) contributing to the annual readership of those issues pertaining to the contest and over 700 people attending the Bachelor of the Year party held every October held at a local Hilton Head or Bluffton entertainment spot.

CH2 strives to give back to the community in which they have been so successful by sponsoring charitable events in both Hilton Head Island and Bluffton (Bluffton’s MayFest, put on by the Bluffton Rotary), donating editorial space to worthy organizations (Bold Strokes, Volunteers in Medicine, March of Dimes), and making the Hilton Head Island Rec Center the recipient of monies raised in conjunction with the Bachelor of the Year Contest.